HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard transferred the former Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau to the Vietnam coast guard during a ceremony in Honolulu, Thursday.

The ship, which will be renamed CSB 8020, is expected to improve the Vietnam coast guard’s maritime domain awareness, increase its capacity to perform maritime law enforcement operations, and conduct search and rescue and other humanitarian response operations.

“This cutter provides a concrete and significant symbol of the U.S-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership,” said U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Michael J. Haycock, assistant commandant for acquisition and chief acquisition officer. “The Coast Guard is honored to see this vessel continue to preserve global peace and prosperity as a part of the Vietnam coast guard.”

The CSB 8020 was transferred to the Vietnam coast guard from the U.S. Government through the Excess Defense Articles program. The EDA offers excess military equipment to U.S. partner and allied countries in support of their military and security modernization efforts.